To Save a Life
by Kashtien James
Summary: Teddy married Henry Burton because she could help him. She could help to save his life. It was a business arrangement and only that, but she got more than she bargained for.
1. Nine Minutes

**A/N: I do not own Grey's Anatomy, nor am I associated with it or the characters of the show. This may be just a oneshot, but if I get good feedback, I may continue. What are your reactions to Henry so far? For me, well, I think I've fallen completely in love with him. 3 Enjoy.**

The adjustment to living with diabetes was tough, but most definitely could have been worse. The entire situation wasn't nearly as bad as the possibilities, and for that, Henry Burton was thankful. How could he complain, after all? In the space of a few days, he'd acquired not only hope, but a friend to help keep it alive.

Yes. Teddy Altman was his friend. It wasn't something that he had put thought into before she had questioned him about the emergency contact choice, but when the time came, he knew. She was his only friend in the world.

And oh Lord, how had he managed to get so lucky? She was beautiful. She was amazing. Talented. He couldn't deny his attraction to the tall blond. And, best of all, she was his wife. Sort of. Legally, at the least.

That was worth something, right? It had to be.

What Henry did know, for sure, was that he wasn't willing to let this arrangement be simply an arrangement. He couldn't hope for it to turn into a marriage, but he could hope for more than paperwork. On the other hand, he really didn't have the right to hope for anything, did he? The woman was saving his life, in all forms of the term.

Speak of the devil.

His thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of the exact woman who filled them.

"Hi," Teddy smiled, stunning even in scrubs.

"Hey." Well, what could he say?

She lingered in the doorway; Henry wanted her closer. This was a business arrangement, though. Right?

It was only a second or two, yet it seemed like hours. Finally Teddy broke the silence, "How are you?"

"Aside from being mostly alone, sick, in a hospital room? I'm wonderful."

She glanced at her watch, "Well I'm all yours for the next nine minutes. Otherwise I can't help with that."

When she took a seat on the edge of his bed, Henry shifted his body over so as to give her more room. He grabbed the jello from next to his bed and offered it to her, a smirk tempting his lips. "It's not nearly as bad as the fruit cup."

"No, thank you. I'm on a strict diet of no hospital food."

He slyly scanned the length of her sitting form, "I don't think you need to be on any diet."

"Ha. What's that supposed to mean, Mister?"

"Just . . ." he chuckled, "nothing. I . . . nothing." Pulling back the tin cover on the jello, he dipped his spoon in and brought a bite to his mouth. He lied. It was just as terrible as the fruit cup. "Mmm. This," a gesture toward the cup, "is amazing. You should definitely regret not taking the offer while it stood, because now I'm not going to share."

Teddy now shifted her body, realizing the space that he had made moments earlier. "I can't believe you! I'm sharing my insurance with you and you won't even share some jello with me. And I was just beginning to like you."

"Well don't stop now. I'm a likeable guy." He took another spoonful of the dessert, "Mmm."

Suddenly, she stood, heading for the door. "I've got five minutes left, and I'm sure I can find my own jello in that time."

One corner of his mouth lifted, his eyes shining. "Teddy. Come on. Don't leave yet." He held out a spoon of jello.

She smiled, then moved back to Henry's side, going at the spoon with parted lips. She wouldn't have actually left, anyway, but she would take the opportunity to test this new area of the hospital's menu. Just as the plastic of the utensil touched her mouth, he pulled it closer to himself, keeping it away from her. Once again she moved in, but was too slow. The game continued until there was barely more than the spoon between their lips. In one swift movement Henry both ate the jello and crushed his lips against Teddy's.

He pulled away immediately, leaving her with just a peck. Before he could take a breath, though, their mouths were together once again - more passionately. In the first seconds she hesitated, but then she kissed him back. His hand found the back of her neck as the kiss deepened. Teddy's hands were at his ribcage; she wasn't sure of what she was doing.

Her lips partly more, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth. When the euphoric feeling registered in the pit of her stomach, she jerked away and her eyes bolted open to see that her husband's were still tightly sealed.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, "Don't _ever_ kiss me again."

He didn't reply. The look in his eyes was enough for her. Teddy stood and left the room, but returned in the doorway a second later, "And that jello is disgusting, by the way."

Henry couldn't help but smile. Sometimes the good outweighed the bad.

**A/N: Please review! I love feedback. Any suggestions? Should I continue?**


	2. Training

**A/N: I am so inspired by this couple right now. Updates will probably be pretty quick for a while. :D Anyway, I don't own anything . . . yadiya.**

Teddy glanced down at her watch after she left Henry's room for the second time. She still had three minutes before she had to go scrub in, but she couldn't stay there. Stepping into the elevator, she melted against the inner wall as she rode down to the basement to burn time. What had just happened?

Obviously, she'd kissed Henry.

No.

Henry had kissed her.

And she'd kissed him back.

The bottom line was, they had kissed. Intensely. It was the kind of kiss that left you thinking about it for the next three hours and brought butterflies to your stomach when you imagined the other half's eyes.

And goddammit, they were gorgeous eyes.

No.

It was a business arrangement. It was a few papers signed to get around the law. It was nothing.

The elevator hit the basement and Teddy punched the floor her surgery was on before the doors could even open. Why was she riding the elevator? There had to be a much more productive way of unsuccessfully keeping her mind off of things.

It had to be nothing because Teddy couldn't fall in love.

She couldn't fall in love with a man who could die. Or worse, a man who could break her heart. She couldn't give another man that power.

On the outside she was strong, but on the inside her resolve had crumbled and she was a broken up mess of emotions. First Owen and his stolen glances. Those looks didn't belong to him. He loved Cristina and had made that painfully apparent. Then Mark. Mark with with body and the looks and the want for commitment and the sleeping with Peter Pan. And lastly there was Andrew and his listening. And his leaving.

Teddy refused to give another man a piece of her. A piece of her mind, maybe, but not a piece of her heart.

So Henry could not kiss her. And he would not kiss her.

There would simply have to be no kissing. Or touching. Or looking. Or thinking. Plain and simple.

Teddy had a feeling that it wasn't going to be that simple. She was already failing.

The elevator came to a stop and she stepped out only to realize that she was on the wrong floor. Her eyes drifted straight down the hall to a patient room near the nurses' station. It was Henry's room. How the hell had she ended up on this floor? Determined, Teddy entered the stairwell and jogged down two flights of stairs. The good old fashioned way never failed.

Hopefully.

_x_

"I'm sorry we lost the patient, Teddy." Owen placed a comforting hand on her arm and grabbed her bird-covered scrub cap from its position of half on her head and half hanging from her ponytail.

"It was a complicated procedure and we knew that her chances of survival weren't very high. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."

"Well you did, and I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

The half smile he offered was nothing compared to the quirky grin she couldn't get out of her consciousness. Not to say that Henry trumped Owen. No. Owen was Teddy's best friend. The preference was only proof that she was no longer in love with him. And that . . . well, that was something she wouldn't mind dwelling on.

He pulled off his own green scrub cap and began washing down. "So this guy - the one you married - how well do you actually know him?"

Chuckling, she swiped the hair that hung in her eyes, "Not at all, actually. I met him in an elevator and asked him to marry me within twenty four hours. It's not a marriage, of course. He needs the insurance and I knew I could help."

"So one day when you want to get married for real and have kids and the whole white-picket-fence deal, what happens to Henry?"

Why did Owen care? "This isn't a permanent arrangement. Besides, why the interest?"

The redhead shrugged, "I'm just worried about you, I guess."

"I'm a big girl, Hunt. I can take care of myself." She stuffed her cap into her scrub pants' pocket, "Will you tell the family?"

He nodded. Teddy left. She was so sick and tired of people worrying about her shotgun wedding. It was nothing and they were all having difficulties coming to that conclusion.

Including herself.

_x_

"Do you need anything?"

Henry looked up from his magazine at the sound of Teddy's voice. He shook his head from side to side, "I'm fine, thanks. Unless, of course, you carry better reading material in your back pocket?"

As he lifted the magazine, she read the _Fashion Today _title and let out a breath of laughter, "I'll bring you a book tomorrow."

"I'd appreciate if you stayed away from the Picoult and Sparks' sections." There was that grin.

Teddy nodded and took a step back, readying to leave the hospital for the night. She stopped in her tracks at the sound of his voice, "Are we good?"

"I'm sure I can forgive you for one kiss. I mean, you're still a puppy. Peeing all over the house. Training is needed."

The grin didn't fade. It was the image Teddy fell asleep with that night.

**A/N: Please review! I apologize for the short chapters, but I prefer to write them shorter and get more done, so I guess less is more! :)**


	3. The Pelican Brief

**A/N: Wish I could say that I own them, but I don't. Never will. **

She had an excessive amount of books. Two bookcases full, and multiple others spread across her house. And still, she couldn't find even one that she thought Henry would enjoy. He had said no Sparks or Picoult, which right off the bat ruled out two complete shelves. She couldn't bring him Kinsella or Gabaldon or Gist or Austen, either. Of all the books, there wasn't one she could bring to him.

Not that it mattered. Really, why did she care? It wasn't her place to worry about what he was reading or whether the television played more than Dr. Phil. It wasn't her place to care. She was doing enough already, simply by saving his life.

Right?

Of course.

Lying on her nightstand was a copy of The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. Her ultimate favourite book, and her only copy. She'd read it at least a dozen times, and always refused to lend it out to anyone. There was something sacred about those pages - knowing that nobody else had ever read those exact words.

Could she? No. She couldn't. He wasn't worth _that. _

Deep inside of her she knew differently. Of course he was. It was just a stupid book. It was a stupid fetish for a stupid book, and if it would save her from having to bring Henry _Pride &Prejudice_, then of course she could.

Not that she cared what he thought. She didn't.

_x_

From the moment Teddy set foot in the hospital she was busy. Every single day she was running around with her head spinning as she saved lives. Henry knew this, and he understood this, which was why he wasn't offended when he didn't see her until noon one day. Or, on a day like today, until late in the evening.

There hadn't been a single thing to watch on television all day. He got twenty channels on a good day, and half of them were sports. He'd always hated watching sports. Played in high school for a while, but never saw the attraction of watching them.

So he read. He read fashion magazines. And he fiddled with anything and everything. He clipped his nails. He attempted origami. He taught himself how to braid the loose strings of his blanket. Every time a nurse walked in to check his vitals or examine his charts, he started a conversation that he hoped would lat, but never did. These people had things to do.

He had a lot of time to think.

It was twelve minutes after eight when Teddy came to visit him. Not that he was watching. Or waiting. Or cared.

Which was a complete lie. Of course he cared. He had . . . feelings - of some kind, at least - for her. To be honest, he thanked God every day that Sara had turned his marriage proposal down. It had most definitely worked out for the better.

Sort of. He thought it had, until he had been banned from kissing her.

He didn't need to kiss her to get to her, though.

Teddy pulled a softcover pocketbook from her bag and handed it to him. It was slightly beat up; well read. The Pelican Brief. John Grisham. He'd seen the movie. It was a good one. "Thank you," he smiled. Henry was being greedy, wanting more, and he knew it. He shouldn't want anything else from this woman, but he couldn't help himself.

"I hope you like it. It was that or _The Notebook,_" she laughed.

What was it about that laugh that made him weak in the knees, even as he lie in bed? "I have a confession to make." Now Teddy was all ears. Henry continued, "When I said no Sparks or Picoult, I was completely bluffing. Protecting my manhood, really. I've read all of Nicholas Sparks' books - _The Notebook, Dear John_ . . . every one. As far as Jodi Picoult goes, I wept through half of My Sister's Keeper."

He didn't know why she was laughing. It wasn't funny. He was serious.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Absolutely." He gave her a moment to laugh before he admitted, "Not."

Suddenly Teddy looked up, attempted composure and said, "I'm sorry. It really isn't funny. You're sensitive. It's . . . cute."

_Cute. _Cute? Cute! This was just . . . great. She thought he was cute. Like a puppy. Or a kid with a face covered in ice cream?

Henry covered his face with his hands, hiding the heat that he knew was blush. He looked up to Teddy's voice, "Why would any sane man do that to himself?"

"First of all, I'm not sane. Secondly, there's on small thing I forgot to tell you. See, I had a sex change a few years back, and a few of my preferences never fully left. I like chick flicks, books that make me weep, doing my makeup . . ." Now he could no longer hold his composure, and broke out in a chuckle.

He wouldn't forget the sound of them laughing together.

After a minute, when there was silence, Teddy finally spoke again, "Look at what I've gotten myself into."

"You want out already?" He asked it in the lightness of the moment, but he was serious. He wanted to know what she was thinking, how she felt.

Her smile brightened, "Not yet. You're gonna be stuck with me at least until you're outta this place."

Good.

"Promise?" He was thinking it, but hadn't meant to voice it. To his relief, Teddy nodded, not reading more into the question than was needed.

_x_

They talked for hours, and the next time Teddy checked her watch it was two in the morning. She was supposed to be sleeping. She was on call. Henry moved over and offered her half of his bed. Without thinking Teddy crawled in next to him.

In ten minutes she was out cold. In twenty so was he, with the last thing he thought about being the sound of their laughter together.

**A/N: Pleeeease review! :) I realized the other day that this is the only story on here about Teddy and Henry (except for a single oneshot). That makes me depressed and excited all at the same time, I think. **


	4. Mrs Burton

**A/N: Chapter four! Yeah, yeah, I'm lacking on my other stories. I know. And, here's my shameless advertising: For those who have seen the Toy Story series, read "Blue Eyed Dreamer". Toy Story is my guilty pleasure. I couldn't help it. Anyway, I own nothing . . . yet. *evil laugh* Someday, friends. Someday.**

Teddy awoke to the steady deep breathing of a man. It didn't take her long to realize where she was and what had happened the night before.

Nothing. Nothing had happened, of course. They'd talked. Fallen asleep together. But nothing had happened.

Unless, of course, you were one of those crazy people who completely over analyzed everything and would think of that as something. Otherwise, though, no one would think anything of it. There was no reason to.

Carefully, slowly, she removed his hand from her body and began to slide off of the bed. There was no need to wake him up. He needed his rest. There was no need to have that awkward conversation about how this meant nothing and could never happen again. It could never happen again, Teddy reminded herself. Sleeping together was most definitely breaking the rules. Not that they had _slept _together. And who was to say that sleeping together would be a bad thing? Not that it wouldn't be a bad thing. It would be terrible. There. Problem solved.

Teddy was one of those crazy people who over analyzed everything and would think that falling asleep next to someone was something.

Probably because it was.

She couldn't keep her mind off of the man. Obviously there was something between them. Or was she imagining it? He had kissed her.

Then she'd banned him from ever doing so again. Stupid woman.

Keeping her motions slow and steady, Teddy continued her attempts at distancing herself from Henry.

"You know, if I'd really been asleep, you definitely would have ruined that by now." Teddy nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of his voice. She dropped his hand onto his stomach and took a step back.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked him.

"I'm not really sure. Close to an hour. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to disturb you."

Oh. So that's how it was.

Sweet of him. No. Malicious of him. He was trying to break down her defenses. Get inside. Well, Teddy made the decision, it wouldn't work. Not that charming smile or those pleading eyes or those manly hands. None of it would work.

She sat back down on the bed, wondering exactly how hellish she appeared. Things were never so great when she woke up. She didn't have to let him in to be friends. "Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Henry nodded, "Better than ever."

She hadn't noticed that his hand was on her back until it travelled up her spine, leaving her with chills and igniting flames all at the same time. He found the soft skin of her vulnerable neck and traced small circles. Teddy found herself drawing closer to him, her eyes intent on his lips.

No.

No.

No.

She felt his lips on her neck, then tracing butterfly kisses along her jawline. A moan escaped her lips before she could stop it.

Yes.

No!

Teddy pulled away quickly, but knew that she could never be far enough away from the man before her. Halfway across the world wouldn't be satisfying enough to stop her wandering mind. She placed her finger on his mouth as if to shush Henry, shaking her head.

Instead of giving her the reaction she had hoped for, her gently kissed her finger, "Why won't you let me in?" he whispered, barely audible above her thumping heart.

"I can't. I can't let you hurt me."

Henry now shook his head, "I won't. I promise you that."

Teddy forced a smile, "You're a liar. You can't promise that."

"You'll never know if you don't give me the chance. And I'll let you in on a little secret -" his voice dropped to a whisper once again, but his playful tone returned this time, "I am a fox in bed. I mean, I don't mean to brag, but I am a sex god."

She couldn't help but laugh. Why did he have to do that? Take a serious situation and turn it around? It made her like him even more.

"You'd have less trouble getting into the nurses' pants. Maybe you should try them instead," she advised him, fighting her inner voice that told her she would be heartbroken if he actually took her up on the offer.

"Get to work. You have lives to save."

Teddy left with a smile on her face.

_x_

"What's for lunch today, Mr. Burton?" Teddy sat down in the chair next to his bed. The morning had been good. She had managed to do a successful heart transplant on a twelve year old boy. It was cause for celebration.

"Well, Mrs. Burton, I'm sorry to say, but nothing very good. Everything tastes like baby food."

She ignored the title he had placed on her, "I don't want to know how you know that."

"No, you're right, you don't."

"How was your morning? Because mine . . . I feel so . . . energized. I had a great morning."

"That's because you started it with me. Imagine feeling like this every day."

Egotistic men. They always had to do that, didn't they?

"My mouth would hurt from smiling so much if every day was this good."

"Well, my morning sucked. Your book . . . it's bad. I'm sorry to say, but it's slow. I'm glad I wasn't a lawyer."

"It's my favourite book." Teddy was slightly offended, she had to admit. But to each his own.

"How? How can you read _The Notebook, _and actually enjoy this?"

"It's not the story. See, when I was in Iraq, I had a friend who kept trying to get me to read it. He said that it was his favourite book. He died. When I got back here, I bought myself a copy."

She shrugged as if it was nothing. But this, _this _was something. She was telling him things. She was letting him in.

**A/N: C'mon, review! You know you wanna! :D So . . . you guys are lucky. I have an exam tomorrow that I should be studying for, but no, I'm writing for you. Fell special. ;)**


	5. Control

**A/N: Grr! I am so behind on a few of my other stories, but I'm so addicted to Henry *blush*. Exams are finished for me, so let's hope I can get a few updates in before the next semester. Shonda owns everything, of course.**

Nine books in a week. Teddy thought he was crazy, for sure. But no. Henry was simply bored. He had company whenever she got the time, but one person could only have so many hours of time when they worked a full time job. Twenty-four hours a day wouldn't be enough of Teddy for Henry. He had an addictive personality. First drinking, but he'd broken that addiction. Then reading, all the time. Now Teddy.

He was addicted to Teddy. Her laugh. Her smile. Her voice. Her body. Her brain. All of her.

At least it wasn't an addiction that would kill. Like alcohol or drugs or gambling.

In time, maybe. But not yet.

"I hate my job. I hate my life. I HATE, HATE, HATE it all!" Teddy broke his train of thought, barging into his room and practically throwing herself down on the chair that she had taken seat in so many times since he'd been there.

Her demeanor surprised him. Henry couldn't help but crack a grin. "Do you want to talk about this terrible, terrible life you have? Cause, I mean, if this is going to be a competition, I have you beat no matter what it is. I'm dying."

She didn't smile. It took something extremely nerve-wracking for Teddy not to at least lift a corner of her mouth at his humor. Not that he expected her to find him amusing, but since she seemed to anyway . . . what could he do?

"I've lost three patients today," she told him. "I asked the Chief for the rest of the day off, but we're short on staff. _Thank God it's Friday_. I need a day off so badly, Henry. You have no idea. It's been the longest week of my life."

He loved how his name rolled off of her tongue. She was complaining, and it was hot.

"S.H.I.T.," he said, simply.

Teddy shot him a look of confusion, "Excuse me?"

"S.H.I.T." Henry repeated.

"I'm serious. I _killed _three people today."

"Sorry, honey, it's Thursday. S.H.I.T.. And you didn't kill them. It was their time. When it's someone's time to go, there's no preventing that. You can't fight God, Teddy."

"When I'm in the OR, I am God. I need to be." It took her still another moment to clue into what he had told her. She pulled out her phone and checked the calender. It really was only Thursday. She couldn't live through another day.

He sat up straighter in the bed, never allowing his eyes to leave hers. "You can't be God. You can't control everything. Life wouldn't be any fun if you could. And, you know what? I think you know that just as well as I do."

She wasn't in the mood. She was not in the mood for his humor. She wasn't in the mood for his pep talks.

She couldn't take it. Suddenly standing, Teddy moved to the end of his bed. She didn't even know what to say to him. She needed someone to be mad at, and he was the only one around. Childishly, she stomped her foot once and tossed her open water bottle at her husband, then proceeded out of the room.

It was funny, Henry had to admit. She was pissed at the world and taking it out on him, like a real husband and wife. It was only after he put the water bottle, now only half full, on the table beside his bed that he laughed, though. It was cold. He didn't appreciate it, but he would take it if he had to. It was a small price to pay if it would help her regain her spirits again.

Throwing things always helped.

He wasn't expecting her to be back, but before he could even get back to his previous train of thought, she was standing at the foot of his bed once again.

"You know what? Fuck you! _Fuck you! _You don't get to lay here dying and laughing. You don't get to tell me that I'm not God and I can't control everything. I can! I can and I will. I'm not going to fall in love with you, Henry Burton, and nobody, not God or you, can change that. See? This is me being pissed. It's me being pissed off at you and not falling in love."

Henry didn't know how to respond. It took a lot to find him speechless, and she had just done so. Had he said anything about falling in love? Not that he could recall.

He hadn't thought of anything worth replying with when she moved to the door and locked it, then proceeded to close the blinds of his room. What the . . . ?

Maybe this addiction was deadly. She was going to kill him. Right there in the hospital.

But no.

She was at his bedside once again, sitting next to him, and out of nowhere, she placed her lips against his. It wasn't gentle or soft. It was a needy kiss, full of desire and passion.

Henry didn't kiss her back. He'd been warned once.

Teddy's voice was low and hitched, "Kiss me, Henry."

"Are you asking?"

"I'm telling you to kiss me. Take it or leave it. But I'm warning you now, if you don't, I'll find someone else who will do just as fine."

He nodded before placing his hand on her cheek. God, she was gorgeous. Even when she was pissed off. He touched his lips to hers, but just barely. He'd learned long ago that women hated it when you teased them. It made them want you more. It made them feel like they needed you.

Teddy could feel his warm breath against her lips. His tongue grazed hers before he actually kissed her. Her fingers ran through his wet hair as she pulled him in closer. Her bottom lips quivered when Henry pulled away for the slightest of split seconds for a breath. She felt empty without his touch. The kiss turned into a mangle of hands exploring and tongues dancing.

He left her lips cold and swollen as he found her neck, and that sensitive spot beneath her ear. Her mind wandered to remorseful feelings for throwing water at him for a moment, but was retracked when their mouths met again.

Readjusting her position, she straddled his legs and was completely on the bed.

He may have been preoccupied, but when Teddy reached for the bottom of her scrub shirt, Henry noticed. Breathing heavily, he shook his head as he pulled away. "Not like this, Teddy. This is you pissed off because you're having a bad day. I'm not going to let you use me for sex. If you want this; if you want _us_, we're going to do this the right way. Angry sex is not nearly as amazing as sex that matters."

She ran a hand through her blond hair, the anger returning. She needed a release, and she wanted him. She wanted him so badly.

Her warm palm met with the side of his face and made a snapping sound that would have made anyone cringe. Her hand print was left on his face as she removed herself from the bed and walked out of the room.

She would not fall in love with Henry Burton. And nobody could change that.

**A/N: I know, I know. A little bit of an argument. But review, and maybe it'll all be okay. ;)**


	6. Escape

**A/N: Does anyone know what Henry does for a living? I don't think we've been told, have we? Just wondering, as it may come in handy for future chapters. :) I don't own any of it, for the record! **

Friday was a slow, slow day for Teddy. She managed not to kill anyone, which happened to be the only upside. She didn't visit Henry. It wasn't because she was angry with him, because she wasn't. She couldn't be. She was angry with herself, with her own actions. She'd been immature and selfish and stupid.

Not talking about it wouldn't help, though. That was without a doubt.

It was ten o'clock before she finally got down to business. And it began with knocking on the Chief's office door. He shouldn't have been at the hospital so late, but he was. Teddy figured that she might as well take advantage of the situation that presented itself.

"Come in," she heard Richard Webber's voice from behind the door.

She pushed it open, "Good evening, Chief."

"How may I help you, Doctor Altman?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Henry Burton," she said.

"What about Henry Burton?"

"I was wondering if . . . uh . . . he would able to leave the hospital for a day? I mean, maybe not even a day. Just a few hours. Or more than a few hours or . . . something."

He closed his laptop, removing his glasses and placing them on his desk, "Why?"

Teddy ran a hand through her long blond hair, "He's my husband. I think that's a good enough reason."

"Alright. Tomorrow's your day off? He can leave the hospital for six hours tomorrow. No more, and no later than ten o'clock."

A wide smile broke through her expression, "Thank you, Doctor Webber. You won't regret it."

_x_

Henry had spent on very long, lonely day pondering the situation that had gone down Thursday night. Questioning whether or not he could have done something differently in order to avoid catastrophe. Because, when it was all said and done, that was what Thursday night had been: a catastrophe.

The hot, angry kissing wasn't bad. No, that was good.

The reason for the hot, angry kissing, on the other hand, was not so wonderful. Nor was the turning Teddy down when she wanted sex. Never in his life did he think he would have to pull a stunt like that. Especially not with _her. _But certain things had to be done properly.

An added downside to not seeing Teddy meant that he had no decent reading material. He wasn't mad at her, if that was what she was worried about. She'd had a bad day, needed someone to take it out on, and he had been conveniently there. Sometimes, that was how life worked. You ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place at the wrong time.

Now it was Saturday morning, and Henry wasn't expecting to see Teddy. It was her day off, and with the reaction she'd had with him on Thursday, he highly doubted that she was about to waste her time keeping him company. He wouldn't hold it against her. She needed the day to rest anyway. Without patients. Without the hospital. Without him.

Without any decent reading material once again, all Henry could do was sleep. Sleep and watch Dr. Phil. Watch Dr. Phil and sleep. Sleep and watch Dr. Phil. It was a cruel, cruel, boring cycle.

The hospital food that they brought him for dinner not only tasted like shit, but was unidentifiable. So he didn't eat. He did, however, drink the watered down orange juice. It was better than nothing. Sort of.

He was in the middle of a rerun of Oprah (which was a nice change, he had to admit) when there was a knock on his open door. He looked up to see Teddy standing there, not wearing scrubs. He could count on one hand the number of times he had seen her in normal clothing. It was always nice.

She took a seat near the foot of his bed, a soft smile on her mouth, "I wanted to apologize for slapping you the other night. And for not coming to say hi yesterday. And for attempting to use you for sex. Oh, and for throwing a bottle of wa-"

Henry cut her off before she could finish her apology, "You're forgiven."

"Thank you. I was hoping you would let me make it up to you, though."

He sat up straighter, "Well, if you really want to. I mean, if you were to feel absolutely, utterly, completely compelled to, then I guess it would only be rude to stop you."

"Oh, in that case, don't worry about it. I was just trying to be nice. It's not something that I just _have _to do. I'd much rather go home alone with a bottle of wine and sleep for the next three days."

Henry faked a look that screamed heartbroken.

Teddy couldn't deny _that._

"Do you have clothes here?" she asked.

Henry nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. Get dressed."

He shot her one last glance of confusion, but followed her orders by throwing back the covers.

Teddy stayed stationed on the end of the bed as he moved to get his clothing. She purposely turned her head when he dropped the hospital gown and was standing before her in his briefs.

"I'm sure you've seen worse," he said, but she still didn't turn. She was afraid of her own hormones. If she saw him standing there in nothing but underwear, she might feel the uncontrollable need to to make the "nothing but" a simple "nothing".

When she heard the sound of his jeans' zipper go up, she knew it was safe to turn, and did so in time to help him with the last three buttons of his flannel shirt. It just so happened that they were the bottom three buttons, and Henry shone his gleaming smile at her the entire time.

It was too late now, she figured. She was already, obviously, falling for the man. Lifting herself slightly up on her tiptoes, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. The cheek that she had slapped just forty hours earlier.

"Come on," she took a large step away from him, "Let's get out of here."

**A/N: Please review! Next chapter, will be, of course, their "date". And somebody, PLEASE, write me a Teddy/Henry fic. I'm begging. :)**


	7. Ten Years From Now

**A/N: I'm really loving all of the feedback. I'm really loving this story. I'm really in love with Henry. :D Anyway, yadiya, blahblahblah, I own zero.**

"Where are we going?" Henry's warm breath as he leaned in to whisper against her ear sent chills through her body, creating goosebumps all over her skin.

"It's a secret," she retaliated in a normal tone, refusing to acknowledge his attempt at sensuality. This wasn't a "date" date. It was an "I'm sorry" apology date. She may have been unable to stop herself from being attracted to the man, but she wasn't about to let go all of her precautions and slip through the cracks on purpose.

As if she hadn't done so already.

When they reached her car in the staff parking area, Henry took the courtesy of opening the driver's side door for Teddy. She had to admit, he deserved bonus points for being a gentleman, even if she did catch him taking the opportunity to breathe in the scent of her hair as she ducked into her seat.

In the moment that it took him to get around the vehicle and into his seat on the passenger side, she questioned her sanity. Purposely putting herself into this situation was something she would commit herself for.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, but Teddy couldn't stand it any longer. His silent presence made her mind restless with questions. Some that she could ask, and some that she could never. Correction: _would _never.

She settled one that she figured must be safe, "What do you do? For a living, I mean. I don't have the slightest of clues."

Henry gently tapped on the window with his knuckles, "Guess," he told her.

Uh oh. This could definitely be interesting. "Well, if I didn't know about your lack of money and insurance, I would probably guess lawyer."

"Lawyer? Seriously?"

She smirked, "Yeah, you know. The lawyer slash comedian everyone gets along with."

"I'm not a character from a sitcom."

"Okay, seriously? I could see you being a teacher. Or a personal support worker. Someone that works with people and helps them." That was her best guess, though she knew she was probably miles off, "Or a stand-up comedian."

Henry chuckled under his breath, "I'm one of four owners of a Shelter and Aid Center for Battered Women."

Teddy gave him a quick side glance to see if he was serious. He was, if she had ever seen him so. This was obviously something he cared about. "Wow. That's . . . great. How does it work for you, though? I mean, women coming from abusive relationships or tough situations aren't willing to trust a man that they barely know." She was genuinely curious, not trying to put him down or question his own position.

"It really depends on the woman and the situation. Some girls need to talk to a man, whereas some cower and hide if they see me in the hall. Two of the other owners are women, and the last is an older man. We employ six people, and the volunteers are really great. It's a great place. I practically live there, to be honest. That's the worst part about being in the hospital. I haven't been able to work."

"You're a good guy, Henry."

The topic was getting too heavy, and he felt the urge to lighten the mood, "Does that mean you're willing to let go of your hostilities and give me a chance?"

Teddy took a deep breath, "I'm trying really hard to hold onto them, but you're making it quite difficult."

They shared a smile, and continued the drive in silence, each of them alone with their thoughts.

Fifteen minutes had passed before Teddy pulled her car off into a vacant lot, somewhere on a back street that he'd never seen. He could smell the water when he got out of the car. She grabbed a cooler from the back seat, then handed him a blanket and led the way. They walked through the lot to the far side, where it was lined with a thick layer of trees.

It turned out that it wasn't so thick of a layer as Teddy followed a short trail through to the opposite side, where Henry saw a clear view of the water he had been smelling. They were on the outskirts of Seattle; he could tell by the ferryboat dock to their left.

"This," Teddy made a gesture to the area, "Is my favourite place in Seattle. It's a secret, so if you tell anyone, I'll have to kill you."

"You wouldn't kill a dying man," he offered.

"Don't test me."

He laid the blanket out on the grass and took the cooler from her, but his goal wasn't chivalry. He crossed his arms and stood directly in front of her with his arms crossed, feet spread apart so that he was her height. "Why is it that you can show me this place, but you won't let me see in there?" he pointed a finger to her chest, gesturing to her heart.

"I can't fall in love with someone that could leave at any time."

"I'm not leaving, Teddy."

"You're dying!" It came out much louder than she had anticipated, echoing with more emotion than intended. A silent minute passed.

Henry took another step closer to her, maintaining his composure, "You've saved my life to the best of your ability, now let me save yours."

"I don't need a saviour."

"You need me."

He was right, and they both knew it. He brought his hand up to cup her cheek as she stepped in to close the distance between them. Placing a slow, gentle kiss on her lips, he ran his hand down her arm to take her hand. Teddy intertwined their fingers, moving her other arm around his neck to embrace him. Her head resting on his shoulder, she could smell him. It must have been the scent from his clothing, because she knew for a fact that the hospital didn't smell that good. "Don't die on me," she told him, "Please, don't die."

"I didn't plan on it."

_x_

"You brought strawberry-rhubarb pie for dinner? I thought you were a doctor. Shouldn't you know better?"

"I can't cook, but I can bake. I figured it was better than Chinese take-out."

Taking a bite, he nodded, "You're probably right."

They had sat there looking out over the lake for the better part of an hour, talking, before Henry had finally decided to see what the cooler held within. A bottle of wine and home-made pie. Made for a decent dinner, especially compared to the hospital food.

He finished chewing and swallowing before he spoke again, "I'm starting to wonder: if this is your idea of an apology, how am I supposed to measure up when I do something really stupid like . . . forget our tenth anniversary or accidentally work late when you're throwing a birthday party for our third kid's sixth birthday and there are sixty kids?"

The point that he was making was clear.

"How about we deal with that ten years form now?"

**A/N: Review? ;)**


	8. Distraction

**A/N: At this point, I'm not exactly sure where this story will go, but I do want to continue it for a little while, at least. If you have any suggestions, let me know :) I own nothing, as always. **

"What are you doing?" Owen caught Teddy by the arm and pulled her aside in the nearly empty hallway.

"Excuse me? What do you mean?"

The redhead's eyes widened, "What do you mean: what do I mean? Do you not check your pager?"

"I was just on my way to get batteries for it, why?" Taking a step back, Teddy crossed her arms. Owen was being a little bit ridiculous, in her opinion. One of her patients probably needed their vitals checked or a refill of orange juice. There were less qualified individuals who could take care of that.

Oh. His voice was soft, gentle, even, when he spoke again, "We're under lock down. Nobody goes in or out. We're trying to keep the hallways clear, too."

Instant panic surged through her entire being. Gunshots echoed through her memory. A comforting hand was placed on her shoulder, but when she looked into her friend's blue eyes, she found herself wishing they weren't blue. Wishing they weren't his. Wishing for Henry. _Needing _Henry.

"A psychiatric patient is missing. It's nothing. Just hospital procedure," came Owen's voice once again, "Just find a room and stay there."

Teddy nodded, "I'll be in Henry Burton's room, if you need me for anything."

She didn't wait for him to object. She didn't wait for him to spew off a list of warnings about getting involved with a man that she barely knew. She knew Henry. It was too late for warnings and precautions.

_x_

"Good afternoon, beautiful," Henry greeted her as she entered his room and locked the door behind her. This situation had an all too familiar air to it.

Not the situation with Henry. No, the situation in the hospital. Tension so thick between doctors and nurses that you could slice through it with a knife. Eerie silence filling the hallways and stairwells. And one psycho on the loose.

When Teddy doesn't answer, he can tell that something is wrong. "You're edgy," he suggests.

"I'm not edgy," she claims, yet doesn't take a seat like she usually would. Instead, she takes to pacing the end of his bed.

"Yes, you are." 

"I'm not edgy!" she snaps, immediately sorry for her harsh tone. She was edgy. She was stressed and edgy and scared. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I - we're under lock down. Some psych patient is missing, so it's no one in or out. And I'm not supposed to be telling you this."

A series of news reports flash through Henry's memory. _Multiple Shooting at Seattle Grace-Mercy West. Multiple People Dead After SGMW Shooting. Families in Grieving After Losing Loved Ones to Hospital Shooter. _The headlines alone had been horrific. "Do you want to talk about it?" He was sitting on the edge of the bed. Today he wore the standard hospital pajamas as opposed to the patient gown. They were much more comfortable, and much less revealing.

She stopped pacing, but only long enough to shake her head, "No. Thank you."

Henry stood, "Do you want to forget about it?"

"I wish it was that easy."

And it was. At least temporarily. As Teddy walked by him for the fourth time since he had been standing in the spot, he caught her by the arm and pulled her flush against his body. He leaned down and barely brushed his lips against hers, leaving them both burning for more. "There are some things that I don't want to wait ten years for," he told her.

"Okay," she whispered, allowing the breath that she hadn't realized she was holding to be released.

His eyes fluttered closed and for a short lived second he stood there relishing in the atmosphere. He truly loved being close to this woman. The soft innocence of her skin. The rough exterior that she tried so hard to hold up. He pressed their lips together once again, his hands placed firmly on her hips.

Her voice was soft in the stillness of the room, "I don't deserve you."

"Shh," he placed a finger on her mouth, "Don't do this now. There's nothing to deserve."

Teddy nodded her understanding, even though she didn't believe it. Before her was a man who would still be the most amazing person she had ever known, even if the only part left of him was his smile.

With that agreement, he replaced his finger with his lips, the kiss more violent this time. Forget ten years, he couldn't wait another hour for certain things. Henry was stepping forward, and her back soon collided with the wall, the motion accompanied by a moan she couldn't stop. Teddy's lips parted when she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip, allowing him entrance into her inner warmth. Their tongues slid against one another in a battle for control, which he won in the end. She followed his lead, her fingers intertwining themselves in his thick hair. Her hands made their way down his back, travelling over his broad shoulders, until she found the bottom hem of his shirt and pulled it up over his head.

This time, Henry didn't stop her. He didn't protest. Even if he had wanted to, he was incapable of doing so. His heart, accompanied by his desire, overpowered his mind.

**A/N: Henry may be sick, but he's still got it. ;) Please review! I kinda sorta completely live for feedback. **


	9. The End

**A/N: Alright, somebody **_**needs **_**to write me some Teddy/Henry. I don't care. Just . . . something. I'm desperate. On another note, as much as I wish I did, I don't own any of it. **

A week had passed since the lock down. It had turned out to be nothing, really. The "missing" patient had been hiding in the basement. Nevertheless, it had the staff looking over their shoulders.

A week had passed since Teddy and Henry had had mind-blowing sex in his room, during the lock down. Against the wall. In the chair. On the bed.

And now, Henry was being released. Teddy was trying not to act like a giddy little school girl, but she would have been lying if she'd said that she wasn't excited. His release meant that he was okay. The second surgery had been highly successful.

So much for it not mattering. So much for it being nothing. So much for just friends. So much for that cocky little grin and those gorgeous eyes being resistible. She hated that she had no control over herself when it came to that man. Hated that her knees went weak when he kissed her. Hated in a good way, of course.

"You ready to get out of here?" Henry signed the last dotted line and swung his bag over his shoulder. He was wearing the same clothing he had worn on their date.

She took his hand when he extended it to her, and they fell in step together as they exited the hospital. Teddy would be back, but hopefully, Henry would not. "So where, exactly, are we going?" she asked as they reached not her car this time, but his truck.

"It's a surprise," he told her. But he'd never been very good at keeping secrets. After opening the passenger door for her, he tossed his bag into the center seat and got in behind the wheel. Before he turned the key in the ignition, he shifted his position in the seat so that he was facing Teddy, "I'm not good with surprises. So, I'll tell you. We're going to my place so that I can shower and get into some clean clothes. Then I have to talk to you about something. Then, maybe, I'll show you something. And after that, maybe, I'd like you to meet someone."

She chuckled, "What a man of mystery you are."

_x_

It turned out that they didn't live too far from one another. Six blocks, to be exact. They established that they often bought their morning coffee at the same place. That the stop light before the entrance to the mall _never _changed. That the same old man went through the recycling outside of the apartment buildings.

The apartment building that he lived in was approximately the same size as hers, but less appealing on the outside. Graffiti plastered the right side of the building almost completely, until your eyes scanned above the second floor. The glass in the front door looked as if it had been kicked in, and then rather than having the glass changed, the unknown handyman had taped over it with electrical tape.

But, Teddy wasn't one to judge a book by its cover. She had learned long ago that being too judgemental got you nowhere.

When Henry opened the door to his apartment on the sixth floor, Teddy found herself pleasantly surprised. His place was surprisingly tidy to say that he was a man, and that there was no woman living with him. There she was, expecting him to be stereotypical, when he had proven at least a dozen times that he was far from the stereotype.

"I'm . . . intimidated, I think," she said as she scanned the area.

Dropping his bag onto the couch, he raised a brow, "Why's that?"

"Even my house isn't this clean."

"Oh. Yeah. I'm . . . uh . . . kinda sorta a clean freak. I mean, not crazy-in-need-of-therapy clean freak, but, you know, don't leave anything hanging around. If a fluff is on the couch, make sure you vacuum the carpet, too."

"Are you serious?"

"No," he broke into a smile, "The old lady next door, her name is Evelyn, she comes and cleans once a week."

"How can you afford a cleaning lady?" There was skepticism in her tone. Henry had proven to be a joker about many serious matters so far, she wasn't sure he was being legitimate.

Taking off his running shows, he shrugged and began unbuttoning his plaid shirt, "I can't. But . . . she can't afford the rent, so one outweighs the other, I guess." He allowed his shirt to drop to the floor and then stepped forward, unbuttoning her jeans.

"What do you think you're doing, Mister?" she teased.

"I'm going for a shower."

"Mhm?"

"Thought you might like to join me," Henry suggested, moving his hands to the zipper. His knuckles brushed against the sensitive skin above her underwear, causing her heart to skip a beat. She ran her hands across his broad chest, outlining the muscles beneath his shirt. God, she wanted him naked. Correction: she _needed _him naked.

_x_

They'd stayed in the shower until the water ran cold. Now Henry placed gentle kisses on Teddy's shoulder as she brushed her hair in the mirror, a towel wrapped around her. He took the brush from her hand and set it down on the bathroom counter, grasping her by the waist and turning her round so that she faced him.

Teddy instantly recognized that he was serious, his eyes searching her face for _something_, but she wasn't sure of what, exactly. His thumb stroked the terrycloth with a steady rhythm over her ribs.

"Teddy," he began. He was making her nervous, "I want a divorce."

**A/N: Yup. Evil, evil cliffhanger. :) Review!**


	10. The Beginning

**A/N: So, I know that this will be getting a little bit further away from the show, but I'm thinking that Grey's will pretty much be finished with Teddy/Henry when he is out of the hospital. So, read or do not. Either way, smile about it! :D I own nada.**

"_I want a divorce."_

"_I want a divorce."_

"_I want a divorce."_

The words echoed through her consciousness over and over and over again. Clearly, he was serious. Teddy felt the nearly uncontrollable urge to hit him. She wanted to break down and cry. She wanted to throw something. And, above all, she wanted to scream.

Throwing something that didn't belong to her would just be rude. Melting into a puddle of tears would prove only that she wasn't quite as tough as she pretended to be. And hitting him seemed to be a humorous act, she had learned the last time she'd tried it. With these facts in mind, she settled on the screaming.

"You arrogant, two-faced imbecile! You're such an asshole! What kind of fucking prick takes advantage of the woman who _married _him to save his goddamn life? The insurance, I don't give a shit about. But the sex? I can't believe you! All you wanted was to get into my pants, wasn't it? Well guess what? You win! You freaking win! Your whole '_I'm the sexy dying guy so you can't deny me' _routine worked. Are you happy, Henry? Are you fucking happy?" She was screaming, all right. Pointing fingers and throwing her hands into the air.

Henry was leaning against the wall across from her, arms crossed and towel slung around his waist so it hung low enough to show those irresistible hip muscles. It wasn't that that bothered Teddy, though. It was the smug grin plastered to his face. That pissed her off.

"You think this is funny?" He wasn't half the man she had believed him to be.

"You think I'm sexy?"

She couldn't believe it. She could not, for the life of her, believe his ignorance and audacity.

Teddy couldn't find an answer. She hated him. That was the only thing she could think. She absolutely despised the man before her eyes.

When silence had filled the air, and Teddy wasn't sure if she could continue staring into his hazel hues, he finally spoke again, "I want a divorce, Teddy, because I would like to do this - _us _- the right way. I would like to take you out on a date, and I'd like you to meet my dad, and I'd like you to stay the night at my house. And then, _then, _I'd like to marry you. I want us to be engaged for a while, plan a wedding, go the whole nine yards. So, with your permission, I would like a divorce. Then I'd like to take you for dinner."

Relief surged through her system like a miracle drug. He wanted a divorce. Henry wanted a divorce, so that he could marry her.

He stepped forward, his hand pushing aside her still-damp hair to rest on her neck, "And, uhm, one more thing: I love you, Teddy Altman."

She placed a soft peck on his lips, resting her forehead against his, "I may want to kill you sometimes, but I _do _love you, Henry Burton."

_x_

They stopped by the courthouse before doing anything else, to file for divorce. The secretary gave them a questioning look, which Henry rewarded by screwing up his own face. She told them that they didn't seem like two people about to get a divorce. Teddy and Henry exchanged a smile as their fingers brushed each other's.

Then they grabbed hot dogs - which they both knew were terrible for their health -, and headed downtown. Teddy wanted to know where, _exactly, _but he managed to keep his lips sealed until they pulled into a small parking lot situated next to a building of substantial size.

He didn't jump out of the car and rush in, but Henry didn't take time to walk around and open her door for her, Teddy noticed. A smile stretched across his face from ear to ear as they covered the sidewalk to the front doors.

She looked up to see that the sign above the entrance read: "_No Shame". _Beneath those words was the formal title, "_Shelter and Aid Center for Battered Women and Children." _He held the door open for her, and she entered to see a billboard with the same font; "_No Shame", _and below that, in italics, "_There's no shame in asking for help. There's no shame in being broken. There's no shame in needing someone."_

"This," he swept his arms out in a wide gesture, "is my life."

Teddy matched his grin, and then suddenly the moment dissipated as a woman rushed out from a door on their right to pounce on Henry in an embrace.

"It's great to see you, too, Jax." He wrapped his arms around the woman's waist, placing a kiss on her cheek.

The woman stepped away a few seconds later, "Jax," Henry began, "I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Teddy. Teddy, meet my partner-in-crime, Jax."

The two women shook hands, but weren't given a chance to start a conversation, as their connection continued, "Is Madison working?"

"No, but Joe just got back from one of his rounds. We could only get two staff in today, so he took the third spot."

Henry moved to the makeshift reception desk, looking through a stack of papers, "It's Saturday. Have you seen April and Emma?"

"April stopped by yesterday morning and left Emma here. She said that she was finished. There's an envelope from her on your desk." Teddy recognized that he suddenly looked distracted; his mind was elsewhere as Jax continued, "Henry, I was going to call Child Services, but I wanted to wait until you came in."

Her sentence wasn't even complete before he moved around her, Teddy close behind him. A few turns and many steps later, they were in his office, a single white envelope lying on his desk.

Henry couldn't get the letter out quickly enough, it seemed. And when the single sheet of paper was finally in his hands, he read it over as quickly as he had ever read anything in his entire life.

_Dear Henry,_

_Thank you for everything you have done for Emma and I over the last three years. I am forever grateful for that. We wouldn't have made it without you, Jax, Madison, and Joe. But I'm finished. I can't keep doing this, and neither can she. When I asked Emma who she loved the most in the entire world, she answered you. I won't be back. I promise you that I won't disrupt your life or change my mind in five years from now. All I want you to do is take care of her, and make sure she knows I loved her. I know she's always seen you as her dad, anyway._

_Love Always, April_

"Teddy, there's someone I need you to meet."

**A/N: So, uhh . . . review? ;)**


	11. Thirty Six Days

**A/N: This chapter may be a little dry as far as Teddy and Henry go, but do not worry. I have some dirty little tricks up my sleeve ;) Shonda owns it all, except Emma. **

March 6, 2007

It was cold out. So cold that Henry could see his breath, white, on the night air. Pulling his collar up and his jacket tighter as he stepped out of the back door of the club, he stopped in his tracks. A baby stroller sat before him with a child in it, barely dressed for the weather, and asleep. She couldn't have been more than a year and a half old.

His first instinct was that the child was unattended, alone, in an alley. Then he heard a heavy grunt to his right, and turned to see a man with his pants down to his ankles. The stranger was thrusting himself into a small-framed woman with her dress pulled up around her waist.

Henry had no problem with prostitutes. He didn't make a habit of taking up their service, but he had nothing against them. What he did have issues with were dirty whores who let their baby freeze while they made a few twenties.

He made his decision in a split second, not bothering to second guess himself. Walking up to the couple, he tapped the man on the shoulder, which startled both of them. Mr. Cold Ass shot Henry a dirty look, but the whore kept her hips moving. Stupid, stupid move. Grabbing the guy by the collar, he took the courtesy of pulling them apart, anger written all over his face. "Get out of here before I call the cops," he told Cold Ass, who left. The whore tried to follow along, but stopped when a hand caught her by the arm.

"Look, buddy," she cocked her hip in arrogance, "you just lost me a client. I suggest you take your hand off of me or _I'll _be calling the authorities."

A lot of good that would do. "The authorities? You mean your pimp? Bring it on, honey."

She raised her hand and slapped him, hard, across the face.

_x_

Present Day

Her name had been April, and that was how their friendship had began. When Henry opened the shelter, she began making weekly drop-ins with her adorable little redheaded daughter, Emma.

"What's going on, Henry?" Teddy's voice broke through his train of thought. His emotions were probably written all over his face.

"I - I just want you to know everything. I want you to be a part of every aspect of my life." It wasn't a lie. He wasn't capable of lying. But it wasn't the whole truth, either.

They made their way to another area of the center, pausing for a moment to talk to Joe, whom Teddy immediately liked. "It looks to me like you have quite a few friends. I don't feel so depended upon now, knowing I'm not your only one in the world." She told him, a playful smirk on her face.

"They aren't my friends. They're my partners. My colleagues. I wouldn't dump something like that on them. They do too much for me as it is. Not that you don't," he quickly added. "It's just . . . you know what I mean."

"I know what you mean."

The door that the walked through led them to a large room with beds and cribs spaced throughout it. A few children were playing with toys in one area, some young women conversing in another, and an array of different faces sitting before a television screen.

A little girl with stunning red hair turned her head at the movement near the entrance, and was immediately on her feet and headed for Henry.

"Henry!" she squealed as he scooped her up into his arms, "Thirty-six days, Henry! That's the longest ever."

"Thirty-six? I don't think so, missus. I don't think I'd live if I didn't see you for that long." He placed a kiss on the girl's forehead.

"Well I was counting. I was counting and counting and counting. And mommy said I might not ever see you again, but I knew she was wrong.":

"Yeah? I guess she was wrong. Look here," he set the child down on her two feet, "I'd like you to meet my friend Teddy. Teddy, this is Emma."

The tiny redhead chimed in, "I have a teddy named Teddy. Is she your girlfriend, Henry?"

"Yes'm, she is."

"Are you gonna marry her? 'Cause you can't marry her. 'Member, you promised me that we could get married when I'm a big girl?"

"I told you that we could get married _if _you still want to when you're a big girl. And I never said promise."

She shrugged, "I can share for now."

The two adults laughed, then Henry knelt down to Emma's level, "You go play. I'll see you soon. I _promise_."

"I want it to be no days this time, okay?" 

"Alright, kiddo. No days."

_x_

Teddy watched Henry's interaction with Emma. The man couldn't be more of an angel. Before she'd awoken that morning, she was sure he couldn't be anything more. And now he surprised her by being good with kids, too. Not that she had expected that he would be bad, but she was waiting to find a fault in him. It was a comfort, though, because someday - not too soon - she wanted kids.

"So you've already promised your heart to someone else? I can't believe that you would do that to me," she joked as they left the center.

"I'm sorry," a huge smile was still glued to his face, "I didn't think you would mind."

"This isn't Utah, you know."

Henry chuckled, "So how do you feel about diving into parenthood?"

Teddy suddenly stopped, "Excuse me?"

"Emma's mine. Not biologically, but if I - I mean, _we _agree to, Emma's mom would like to have her under my care. But I'm not making a decision unless you're on board with it."

**A/N: What do we think of Emma? The situation? Please review, and gimme your suggestion. Oh, and write me some Tenry!**


	12. Break Up Sex

**A/N: Guys, I know it's been like two weeks since I updated, but my classes have been crazy bombarding. Grr. Anyway, what was with the Henry absence for the last two weeks? I want him back! As always, I owe nothing, and enjoy.**

"There has to be a point where it stops, Henry! I can't have you wanting to bring in every cute little kid that steals your heart. You can't go around handing out money by the fifties!"

"Why not, Teddy?"

They had been arguing the entire drive back to Henry's apartment. Teddy said that she wasn't ready for motherhood, and she had always wanted her own kids. Henry was ready to be a parent, and why waste the opportunity? She barely knew the kid. He would give his life for Emma. The mother could show up at any time. April always kept her word.

"Because you can't!" she was much less composed than he, "People will take advantage of you. They will chew you up and spit you out like you're a piece of meaningless shit."

"Don't you think I know that? Just because I do things for other people doesn't mean that I'm naive. I'm not looking for love or payment. I can't not help. I can't walk by a man knowing that I could buy him the dinner he otherwise wouldn't have. I can't let a little girl slip through the system, bumping through homes and uncaring parents knowing that I could change that. You're a surgeon, for God's sake! Why don't you understand that?"

A heavy and clearly audible sigh came from Teddy's lips, her arms tightening against her chest in their crossed position, "I'm sorry I'm not a saint."

Henry shook his head, "Neither am I."

"You need to decide. Me or her."

This was ridiculous, "Are you serious?"

"Do I look serious?"

Yes. Yes, she did. "Then I need some time to think," he told her.

"So do I," With that answer, Teddy opened the door and walked out of his apartment.

To be honest, Henry wasn't worried. She would be back. She would be back because he loved her, and she loved him, and he didn't believe in anything but happy endings. And if he had to choose, he would choose her. But he wouldn't have to choose. Because he only believed in happy endings.

He had to believe in happy endings. Since he'd been nine years old he'd had to believe in happy endings. Because without that belief, what would he have been? A lonely, motherless boy with a suicidal sister and alcoholic father.

The happy ending it would be.

No questions asked. Case closed. And whatever else meant end of story.

Besides, she'd left her purse in his apartment.

_x_

Teddy left his apartment and instantly felt bad. She had definitely overreacted. She definitely could have handled the situation better. It was just . . . she was stressed. This whole . . . everything was stressing her out. Henry was perfect. Absolutely, completely, perfect. There shouldn't have been a problem, really. But there was. She had known men that had seemed perfect in the past. They always had a flaw. Somewhere. And she never realized it until it was too late.

But either way, she had overreacted.

Her feet only reached the sidewalk outside of the building before she made the decision to turn around. Even if she didn't want to go back for him, which she did, she had to go back for her purse.

_x_

Henry watched from his window as Teddy made it only ten feet from the doors of the building and then seemed to change her mind. He shook his head in amusement. _Women. _They could never make up their mind. Never knew what they wanted. Worse than babies and dogs combined.

A moment later there was a soft knock on his door. He waited a moment before he walked over and opened it. Waited until he was sure that he was composed, that was.

Teddy stood with her arms crossed once again, clearly unapproachable. "I forgot my purse," she tossed out.

"I know."

Henry was surprised when she stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind her. At least she wasn't yelling. "Take off your pants," she told him.

His eyebrows shot up, "Break up sex? I don't do break up sex, Teddy."

"Make up sex," all of her features softened, "I was wrong. I overreacted and I'm sorry."

Good. That was a step in the right direction. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't be putting this on you. It's . . . I - Emma. She's been a daughter to me for too long for this not to happen."

"So you choose Emma?"

"Not if I have to choose. If I have to choose, Teddy, I choose you."

She swiftly closed the distance between them and placed a kiss on his lips, "Now take off your pants."

"Yes, ma'am."

_x_

They lay on the floor next to each other some time later, both breathing heavily. Henry leaned in and traced his tongue over the salty skin of her neck. When he looked up into Teddy's eyes, a smirk jumped to his lips, "If this relationship doesn't work, can we at least keep having sex?"

"This relationship better work, Burton. If it doesn't, you better hope to God it's because you're dead. 'Cause otherwise, I'll kill you."

They both chuckled in the stillness.

When they had regained their breath and their composure completely, Teddy found herself thinking aloud, "So we're going to be this big happy family. You, Emma, and I."

"And maybe a few kids of our own, right?"

She wasn't expecting anyone to answer, but when Henry did, she couldn't help but smile.

**A/N: Sorry for the poor quality. :( I have the worst writer's block ever. Ideas are welcome. And please review.**


	13. Gorgeous

**A/N: With regret, I would like to say that this will be the last chapter of **_**To Save a Life**_**. I do intend to write more (hopefully many more) Teddy/Henry fics, but for now this is the end. Keep your eyes open for a sequel in the future. Thank you to everyone who has faithfully read and reviewed. For the final time, I do not own or have anything to do with Teddy, Henry, or Grey's Anatomy. **

_Three Months Later_

"An unidentified female, approximately twenty-eight years of age, was found in an alley off of Middle Street last night in battered condition. Police believe that the woman committed suicide by jumping off of the building, but investigation is continuous at this point. The Jane Doe was found with no identifying materials spare a single piece of jewelry, an empty locket. More on this story to foll-"

Henry heard Emma's skipping and humming from down the hall and skittered for the remote in a frenzy. When the news channel had disappeared and was replaced with a sitcom, he dared to breathe again. April would be twenty-nine this year. April's favourite bar was on Middle Street. He knew what that locket looked like. He _knew _April had killed herself. It shouldn't have surprised him, but the confirmation was shocking. His chest tightened, his mouth went dry.

He sat there in silence for a moment as he stared off into the distance. Emma rummaged through a cupboard of DVDs, clearly in search of a specific movie.

It wasn't until the tiny redhead pulled out a disc and thrust it toward him that he remembered where he was, "Henry, will you watch Toy Story with me?"

"Uhh . . . sure. Yeah. Get me the remotes, kiddo."

He had barely set up the cartoon in his detached movements Teddy walked through the door with an arm full of grocery bags. Henry barely gave her time to pass the threshold before he had her cornered in the kitchen, whispering in a mad fury, "She's dead, Teddy. She's really not coming back."

She was confused. "What are are you talking about? Who's dead?"

"April."

Now she was extremely confused, "We knew that, Henry. We talked about this before."

"No. I mean, she's actually gone. I just saw it on the news."

Now she understood. And for the first time since she'd walked into the apartment, she actually looked into his eyes. Teddy could see that he was heartbroken. Whether his sorrow was for himself or Emma was yet to be determined, but he was clearly a wreck for one reason or another. Pulling him in by the shoulders, she wrapped her arms around his neck, running a hand through his hair.

Against Teddy's body, Henry found himself breathing deeply and blinking repeatedly to push back the tears that welled within him. _April was dead. _He couldn't believe it.

They stood like that in the kitchen for many long moments before Henry finally took a step back, and she could see tracks of liquid where tears had rolled down his cheeks. Teddy reached forward and smeared them with her thumb, causing the evidence that he had been crying to evaporate.

"Do you want me to cancel tonight?"

"No," he shook his head, turning to open the fridge and put some of their groceries away.

She caught him by the arm, "Are you alright?"

"No."

"Are you going to be?"

"Eventually."

Henry and Emma had moved into Teddy's apartment two months earlier. His had already been rented out to someone else. He had asked her to marry him two weeks ago. Tonight was their engagement party. Not _exactly _a party, but a gathering of friends in honour of the engagement. They had been planning it for a week; he wasn't about to ruin that now. Especially not over a few tears.

He would be fine.

_x_

The first people to arrive were Joe and Madison, followed by Callie and Arizona. Emma was sound asleep in the furthest bedroom, played out and oblivious to the noise piling into the large apartment. Jax, Owen and Cristina, Meredith and Derek, Mark, Bailey, and Eli showed up all relatively on time. Even Henry's dad had been able to make it, dragging his much younger girlfriend along with him. Most of those who hadn't been able to make it were at the hospital, but the majority of invitations sent were accepted.

It wasn't a large gathering, but it was lively. The staff from the shelter mingled well with those from Seattle Grace-Mercy West. Henry was well liked by most of Teddy's friends. Teddy was liked by all of Henry's.

Jackets and purses were thrown in Teddy and Henry's bedroom. It was as Henry was shutting that door behind him that his dad stopped him in the hallway, "I was surprised you called," he stated.

"I'm surprised you're here."

"Well, son, you're getting married."

Henry nodded, "I don't hate you, you know. I think that you screwed up, and I dislike you some of the time. But I love you."

This seemed to be news to his father. It shouldn't have been. Henry didn't expect to hear the same in return. He never had. "She seems like a nice girl," was Mr. Burton's reply.

"Thank you."

Across the house Callie and Teddy were caught up in conversation over the arrangement of various foods. "I can't believe I'm getting married. I cannot believe that you're having Mark Sloan's baby. This is all so crazy, Callie."

"Oh, God, believe me. I know. It's insane," she peeked around the corner to see that Arizona had manged to catch Henry as he made his rounds to greet everyone. "And you failed to mention how painfully gorgeous he is when he cleans up. I mean, gorgeous in jeans, too. But this is dangerous. That tie is seriously making me consider going straight and stealing that engagement ring."

Callie ducked back into the kitchen with a laugh to match Teddy's. Teddy then took her turn peeking around the corner to evaluate her fiance, "He is pretty damn beautiful, isn't he?"

"Mhm. And I'd be willing to bet he's a fox in bed."

"Oh, of course," she admitted modestly.

"We should have a threesome sometime," Callie joked.

They both laughed again.

_x_

The night proceeded with laughter and gait. Henry met his dad's newest girlfriend. Mark and Jax flirted off in a corner without interruption. Bailey and Eli disappeared into the bathroom for an extended amount of time, believing that nobody had noticed their absence when they returned. All was well.

Henry observed most of these happening from the sidelines, conversing with those who passed by him or those whom he sought out.

He was standing watching Teddy as she laughed with Derek about something when Owen approached him with a smirk.

"How's it going?" questioned Henry.

"Great. You?"

"Better than ever."

Owen took to standing next to Henry as he spoke, "Teddy's been a good friend of mine for a long time. I want you to know that if you ever, ever hurt her in any way, you'll have to face me."

Now it was Henry's turn to grin, "I'm not afraid of you. I recognize that was your goal with this - to make me fear you, but I don't. And I'm the last person who would ever hurt Teddy. Maybe you should take a look in the mirror before pointing fingers."

Maybe that had been too much, Henry thought. But he really didn't like Owen Hunt. Teddy had told him of their history, and even if Owen did seem like an alright guy, he wasn't about to take shit from him.

Madison was standing alone by the table, munching on a handful of potato chips. Henry decided that was a better place for him to be. But he only made it halfway to his friend before Teddy stood up on a chair in the middle of the room and called everyone to her attention. The room went silent.

His fiancee's voice met his ears and warmed him to his toes, "On top of our engagement, Henry and I have something else that we would like to announce tonight."

They did? Henry was confused. Very, very confused.

"We're having a baby," she said with a smile, her eyes meeting his.

**A/N: Sadly, that is the end for now. Please review :D**


End file.
